As our world remains in unprecedented times, we can’t be sure of much. However, the one thing that has not gone away is the Brits’ love of a bargain. While we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, we do enjoy grabbing a bargain on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are traditions borrowed from the Americans.
E-commerce websites need to be prepared for the surge in demand, especially now as 49% of consumers shop online more now than they did pre-COVID-19. Here is our guide to how you can make sure you are ready and how you can maximise your sales at this peak shopping period.
Prepping your e-commerce site itself
Testing
If you follow this guide and are successful at preparing your website for the increase in visitors, you should make sure that it is going to handle it. If you are going to see a surge your website should be tested to check that people are going to be able to access it. Nothing makes someone click away from a site quicker than if it crashes while trying to load.
Responsivity
– some ground-breaking news – m-commerce and mobile web sessions are on the rise! This might well be common knowledge but doesn’t mean it is not worth repeating. Every page of your website should be optimised for mobile viewing and responsive to different viewing platforms. Even better (though it might have to be a plan for next Black Friday now) is to develop a mobile app, as apps convert 157% more than a mobile web visit.
Payment options
Mobile payments such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, Paypal and Klarna account for 32% of payments online, so if your website does not accept these already, you should speak to your developer to get them added asap to maximise the number of consumers that can buy without having to get up and find their card!
Clear shipping options and information
Similarly to payment options, people like choices and this is true for shipping as well. Consider having a minimum spend for free delivery, a higher cost option for expedited delivery or a free click and collect option if applicable. More choices mean you are more likely to find an option to suit your customer and therefore they are more likely to finalise their purchase.
E-commerce Chatbot
Chatbots are being increasingly used to help with problems on a website, and the more recent rise in popularity has been using chatbots during the purchasing process. People want instant help and if they can’t get it or it is out of hours, they are more likely to click away and abandon their shopping carts. They are an easy add-on and can be managed easily through an app or website.
Preparing your Marketing
Reviews
There are many SEO reasons to have reviews on your website but it is also important as a way of making your business stand out from your competitors and to help customers feel confident in buying from you. This is particularly important if you are attracting new customers who may not know you and how fabulous you are. Reviews give them a sense of trust and make them more comfortable and likely to spend.
Social Media
Create a buzz for your Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale so people know it’s coming. Everyone, whether they admit or not, suffer from FOMO and you want to capitalise on that and create a sense of excitement and urgency about your sale. Adding a buy now button to your social media posts will increase the chance of sales. You should consider email marketing campaigns that are aligned with your social media as well.
PPC Campaign
Although it is a very competitive time for Pay-per-click (Paid advertising) it is likely to be worth the investment. Paying to be at the top of a Google search is going to increase your clicks, increase your visitors and hopefully increase your sales. Do your keyword research so you know what you want to rank for and importantly what you do not want to appear for. Then have some fun and make some sales.
Getting you ready for Black Friday
There are a lot of steps here that you may need to do and need help with, or you might be wondering if every step is suitable for your business, or some elements might be confusing you on what it means! This is where Sierra Six can help, let us help you get ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Contact us for a chat about how we can help.
Rachel Downes, Publisher, Sierra Six Media.
